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Why is it that Jews are so involved in causes dedicated to justice, equality, human rights and peace? Are these trends influenced by religion, history, sociology or something else? In this provocative exploration, Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, founder and president of PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, sheds light on the relationship between Judaism, social justice and the Jewish identity of American Jews. He traces how the idea of justice, as developed in the sacred texts of Judaism, conditions Jewish attitudes and behavior. In a fascinating portrayal of some of the major issues facing the Jewish community in the last fifty years, Schwarz explores a community torn between its instincts for self-preservation and its desire to serve as an ethical "light to the nations." This powerful and empowering book will provide you with a starting point for meaningful engagement-and a new way to understand Jewish identity. Book jacket.

Foreword by Ruth Messinger

xiii

Acknowledgments

xvii

Introduction

xix

PART I. The Jewish Condition

1. The Purpose of Judaism

3

(8)

2. The Exodus-Sinai Continuum of Jewish Life

11

(20)

PART II. Sinai

3. Genesis: Abraham and "the Call"

31

(6)

4. Exodus: Embracing the Covenant

37

(4)

5. Leviticus: Roadmap to a More Perfect World

41

(6)

6. Numbers: From Wilderness to Prophecy

47

(8)

7. Deuteronomy: How Central Is God?

55

(8)

8. Sinai Applied: Seven Core Values of the Rabbinic Tradition

63

(22)

PART III. Exodus and Sinai in America

9. The American Jewish Community and the Public Square

85

(20)

10. Jews and the Struggle for Civil Rights

105

(14)

11. Soviet Jewry: A Cause of Our Own

119

(20)

12. Protecting and Defending the State of Israel

139

(26)

PART IV. A New Era

13. What Is a Jewish Issue?

165

(24)

14. Beyond Self-Interest

189

(24)

15. Social Justice Takes Root

213

(24)

16. Reconciling Exodus and Sinai

237

(16)

17. Conclusion: Responding to "the Call"

253

(10)

Resource List of Jewish Social Justice/Community Service Organizations